# Could you find your home, starting from orbit? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 17, 2008, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706 "2008-04-17T11:06:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/81 "2008-04-17T19:29:37Z")
If I can correct as I descend, then yeah, I can land it on my house (or in the shopping center up the street; don’t want the saucer squashing my neighbors!) If I can only pick one spot to land on from orbit, and not correct, then I ended up somewhere near Sulphur, OK, which isn’t terrible, considering that I live in Dallas. ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/82 "2008-04-17T20:13:19Z")
Found it. Once you zoom down a few times, it’s easy to find Helsinki on the coast, and after that it’s pretty easy to navigate by the railway and motorways. I made it to my general vicinity but the detail doesn’t allow me to touch down on my front yard. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/83 "2008-04-17T21:10:44Z")
dead center, first try. But I’ve flown in my area so as long as I hit the initial few zooms, I start recognizing mountains. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/84 "2008-04-17T21:10:54Z")
Based on post #3, with re-centering, but not zooming out, I have no problem getting to my house, nor do I have a problem finding my parent’s house, or nearly any other person I know well. But, I’ve lots of practice using Google Earth, and other overhead mapping programs, as I use them fairly frequently to pre-scout hunting areas. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/85 "2008-04-17T21:19:19Z")
I “landed” about two miles from my house. Not bad - I can walk from there. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/86 "2008-04-17T21:34:11Z")
Where I live now? Easy. I’d hate to try it with Los Alamos, Athens GA, or Valdosta though. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/87 "2008-04-17T22:21:12Z")
I ended up in a city about 120 miles west of mine, right on the Interstate. Not bad at all for West Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/88 "2008-04-17T22:37:19Z")
Easy, once I got the double-click down. I’ve had to work with a lot of the maps of the area, though, so I’d expect that. You can’t see my house from the air, because of the oak trees. I know where it is and what it looks like from the air, though, so I know I hit it. But I wouldn’t go home if I had a flying saucer. I’d try to hit either Disneyland or Disney World. Maybe try to come down in Tomorrowland. Does Disney World have that? ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/89 "2008-04-17T23:07:26Z")
South side of my condo complex. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/90 "2008-04-17T23:08:27Z")
Took a good 15 minutes, with lots of zooming back and forth. On the FIRST shot, though…about 5 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/91 "2008-04-17T23:15:15Z")
Right in the front yard. Crater Lake makes a handy signpost. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/92 "2008-04-17T23:23:01Z")
I live a few blocks from a distinctive point on the edge of a Great Lake. I can do it. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/93 "2008-04-17T23:27:27Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] You’re out cow-tipping one night and an alien abducts you. After implanting things in your neck, drilling holes in your teeth and lots of anal probing, the alien tells you to drive yourself straight home. Then he goes to bed, leaving you in control. [/QUOTE] Typical, by the way. I bet he doesn’t even call tommorrow. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/94 "2008-04-17T23:31:28Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] Typical, by the way. I bet he doesn’t even call tommorrow. [/QUOTE] I’m going to be honest. I’m wondering why we’re not taking the alien to the most out-of-the-way place we can imagine, and dumping her/him/it there. And keeping the flying saucer! Which would give her/him/it a perfectly legit reason not to call in the morning - just what sort of phone service will he/it/she be able to find in the middle of the Gobi desert? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/95 "2008-04-17T23:31:29Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] So - can you do it? Can you descend directly home without having to zoom back out or drag the map? [/QUOTE] Within the limits of the resolution of the map, sure – it’s a breeze. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/96 "2008-04-18T01:51:46Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] Damn. I was trying to spot freeways from too far up and missed by a bit. By the time I recognized I was looking at the 60 instead of the 10, it was zoomed in too far, and I wound up in Pico Rivera, about 25 miles away from where I should have been. Fun game, though. [/QUOTE] Of course, I made my wife do this, and she nailed our house on the first try. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/97 "2008-04-18T02:09:16Z")
Holy crap. I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. I landed on Brand Hollow Road, which is about 3 miles from my street. I knew finding the lake would be easy but it’s a big lake and I assumed I’d end up in Rouses Pt. (bordering Canada), instead of my own neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/98 "2008-04-18T02:23:01Z")
My first try (click once and zoom) I wound up 163 mines almost due north of my house. Rercentering the map after every zoom made it trivially easy. Our house is onlu about a mile north of the confluence of two rather sizeable rivers smack dab in the middle of the Central Valley…you really **can’t** miss it. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/99 "2008-04-18T03:30:47Z")
Landed within walking distance, although I’m not entirely sure I know the way from there. It’s downhill, anyway, so no biggie. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706/100 "2008-04-18T03:35:27Z")
Wow, I’m really bad at this. I made it to East St. Louis once, and Fairview Heights once, both of which are within striking distance, but it took me six or seven tries, and I can’t find the tiny little town where I live at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-find-your-home-starting-from-orbit/445706.md?page=6)